


Becky Barnes: Agent of SHIELD

by CanadaSnowAngel



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Epic 17 year old SHIELD agent, I made up more family for Bucky!, Steve is mean (but only for a little while), does SHIELD even recruit people that young?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 00:24:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2448536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanadaSnowAngel/pseuds/CanadaSnowAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rebecca Barnes - great-niece of Steve Rogers' partner and best friend, James 'Bucky' Barnes - survived Loki's attack on New York, and joins S.H.I.E.L.D. One year later, New York is fixed, and the Avengers haven't been needed. When asked to be their new handler, 17-year-old Becky gladly accepts. After all, what could possibly go wrong? Post-IM3. Primarily set 1 year after 'Avengers'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fanfic on this site, and I kinda gave up on this one last year. It was originally posted on ff.net, so I thought I'd cross post and start it up again. Many chapters have been posted at once, and it probably won't be updated regularly, but hey, that's the life of an almost-high-school-graduate...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing... Becky Barnes 16 year old New Yorker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is set in the MCU, and I know absolutely nothing about the comics, so keep that in mind when reading. I have taken some liberties with the characters, and adapted them for my own use, so if they seem OOC, that's why. This is my first Avengers fic, and my second overall. I'm a newbie when it comes to fanfic writing, so bear with me please. This is unbeta'd, and I'm not American, so any cultural errors, or mistakes are all mine. If there are any glaring errors, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Rebecca Barnes was salvaging what was left of her belongings from the remains of her bedroom. She lived in a two-bedroom apartment with her parents in New York City, though it was soon to become New New York in her mind, given the construction needed after the freak alien attack on the city. It had been recommended to Becky’s parents that Becky be enrolled in some self-defence classes, just in case she was attacked. _I’m not entirely sure an alien attack is exactly what my parents had in mind when they signed me up for those classes,_ Becky thought, and her eyes welled up. Becky had been separated from her parents during the attack, and they had both been killed trying to find her. Becky had no other family, and now she was back at her old home, trying to pack before social services took her to an orphanage.

There wasn’t much left, but Becky collected what she could, and put them into a duffel bag. She found a few tops, some pants, one dress, some comfortable walking shoes, a pair of heels and flats, and all the war memorabilia from her great uncle’s time in the war. She always wore his dog tags. They made her feel safe and secure. Becky put her hand on her chest and felt them under her t-shirt. She lifted them out, and looked at the name engraved on them. James Barnes. Becky had never met the man she looked up to. He had died in the Second World War. The legend of Bucky Barnes made Becky want to protect her country with her whole self. She’d even heard stories that he was a friend of Captain America’s. Sure, Becky had many photos of her great-uncle with someone who resembled Captain America, but he was a little weedy to be the superhero that’d saved so many lives in the past week. Becky felt a shadow pass over her, and she turned her head to look up at the social services man staring down at her.

“Is that everything?” He asked. Becky nodded.  
“Yes.” She lifted the single box with everything she held dear; a photograph of her parents on their wedding day, a photo from the day she was born, a photo of Becky sitting on her father’s shoulders with her mother smiling up at them, and everything that belonged to Bucky Barnes. Becky had her clothes on top of these. She lifted the box into her arms, refusing assistance, and went to put it in the boot of the car. She never made it. A tall man in dark clothes blocked her path. Again, Becky was faced with someone looking down at her. Unusually, this man was looking at her with one eye. He was wearing an eye patch.

  
“Rebecca Barnes.” The man said.  
“Yes?” Becky was unsure what the man wanted with her. Becky’s response seemed enough for the man, and he faced the social services rep.  
“We’ll take it from here.” The man had a firm grip on Becky’s bicep, and lead her towards a strange looking plane. Becky looked at the man with questioning eyes. You want me to get in that? Her eyes said.  
“Yes.” Somehow the man knew exactly what Becky was asking. Usually people stared at her with a blank look on their faces. Becky moved past the unusual looking man and took a seat closest to the pilot. The man climbed in after her, and sat in the seat opposite. The door closed and the plane took off.

* * *

“My name is Nick Fury. I am the director of a top secret organisation known as S.H.I.E.L.D. We’re taking you to our headquarters now.”  
“What do you want with me?”  
“We saw you in the battle on New York. Your skills are unparalleled by anyone your age. Believe me, we’ve checked.” Becky barely remembered what she had done in the battle. In an adrenaline pumped state, Becky had stopped some of the freaky aliens from hurting a group of kids running from some shrapnel falling from the sky. The chitauri had attacked her, but she had taken them all out easily using some of the simple moves she had been taught in her self-defence classes. If this made her the best S.H.I.E.L.D. had seen, then what the hell had she been learning? Becky stayed quiet the rest of the journey, while Nick Fury explained that she would be taken to headquarters for a briefing and training to enter the organisation as an agent.

Becky felt her stomach drop as she lurched forward. Fury simple gripped her arm to make sure she was stable, then stood and said, “we’re landing on the deck.”  
“Deck?” Becky thought they were going to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, not a boat. The doors to the quinjet opened, and Becky followed Fury out and found herself standing on the deck of a large flying contraption.  
“It’s called the helicarrier.” Fury seemed to read Becky’s mind again. Becky looked around, pivoting a full 360 degrees. When she turned back, Becky noticed Fury had moved off without her. Becky struggled to catch up, but found path blocked by Fury himself. Sweeping his hand back, Fury announced, “Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of like a prologue, but not really, mostly used to introduce Becky. So, not a long chapter, but they get longer, I promise!


	2. Welcome to SHILED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky is taken to SHILED where she meets the Avengers, and Steve learns of her ancestry. Also, a time jump to move the story along...

“Whoa,” Becky stood open mouthed at the entrance to a hub of activity. Fury moved forward and motioned for Becky to follow.  
“Where are we going?” Becky asked.  
“Your quarters,” was the only response Becky could pry from the SHIELD director. Before long, Becky found herself standing in front of an unmarked door. Fury leaned around her, and swiped a card in front of where a handle should be. He pushed the door open, and gave the key card to Becky.  
“Only you have this card, so you are the only one who can get in.” Fury explained. As Becky stepped over the threshold, she almost lost her grip on her small box of possessions. She gently put them nest to the doorway and looked around the room. It was made up of two rooms. There was a living space with a couch, coffee table and T.V. Opposite the entrance, there was another door. Becky stepped through into her bedroom. There was a bed in the centre of the room, a closet on one wall and a bathroom opposite the closet, the door left open. Becky looked at Fury and asked, “No kitchen?”  
“All meals are eaten in the communal area. This is all you’ll need to live comfortably. Your uniform is in the closet. Please put it on swiftly, and meet me in the bridge. There are some people you should meet.” With that, Fury strode out of the room.

* * *

Becky turned to the closet and took the uniform out. It was a cat suit, made from a tough material Becky couldn’t identify, and had the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the shoulder. Becky struggled with the uniform for a moment, before working out he correct way to put on the uniform. She changed from her aqua sleeveless top, denim jeans and leopard print flats and found a pair of black flats in the bottom of the closet. Becky put her key card in a pocket provided on the uniform, then proceeded to the bridge, where Director Fury was waiting. In his hands, he had some forms he had taken the liberty of filling out. As Becky reached for them and read through them, she felt satisfied enough to sign the forms. Not before she had asked many questions about what her job would entail. Fury had answered vaguely, to the point where Becky still had no idea what she’d be doing. The trouble was, she had nowhere else to go. Becky signed the forms and handed them to Fury, who traded her with an ID badge with Level 2 Clearance.

Fury led Becky over to the main table, where she saw an odd bunch seated. She’d walked right past them without noticing.  
“Team, this is Rebecca. Rebecca, these are the Avengers.”  
Becky was stunned, then confused.  
“Sir, if you don’t mind my asking, why am I being introduced to the Avengers?”  
“Your skill set may be useful in the future. That, and one of them will be very interested in finding out exactly who you are. More specifically, your ancestry.”  
“Is that so, Eye Patch?”

Becky turned back at face the super-team sitting around the table, all of them shooting ‘shut up’ looks at none other than Tony Stark. Fury glared at Stark. Natasha was leaning on a wall, looking exasperated, Clint mimicking her movements. Bruce stood by Tony, and nudged him. Steve looked back at the table surface. Thor was still off planet.  
“Pray tell, who will be interested in finding out about this rather ordinary looking person?” Tony said in a condescending tone, causing Becky to send Tony a look that was the definition of the phrase ‘if looks could kill’. It rivalled Fury’s glares, and Tony paled slightly.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself Agent Barnes.” Fury ordered. Steve’s head snapped up and Becky noticed him staring straight at her. She tuned he attention to the group as a whole as a way to not let it bother her.  
“Yes, sir. My name is Rebecca Barnes. I go by Becky.” Becky made eye contact with every member of the team. When she got to Steve, Becky noticed shock and disbelief in his eyes. She began to get nervous, and her hand immediately reached the chain around her neck. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed.

“What’s around your neck?”  
“Tony! Subtlety really isn’t your strong suit, is it?”  
“You should know that about me by now Banner.” Tony shot Becky an expectant look, and she realised he was waiting for an answer. Becky pulled the chain up and let the dog tags hang at the front of her uniform.  
“They belonged to my great-uncle.” she explained.  
“May I see?” a small voice asked. All heads turned to Steve. No one had ever heard him speak so softly. Becky hesitated before responding.  
“Sure.” She pulled the chain over her head, and put them in Steve’s outstretched hand. As he examined them, Becky looked at Fury. He was very interested in Steve’s reaction and was analysing every move he made. Becky heard a sharp intake of breath as Steve saw the name on the tags. A tear was rolling down his left cheek. Out of instinct, Becky reached over to him and wiped the tear away. From his reaction, she had realised that this was the weedy guy from her favourite photo.

“You were his friend.” It wasn’t a question. A nod was the only reply given. Everyone stood around awkwardly, until Tony decided to speak. “Can we go home now? Cause I need to rebuild Stark Tower” Becky looked to Fury, who gave a curt nod. All the Avengers stood, and turned to leave. Becky cleared her throat. Everyone turned back, not understanding why. Then Steve looked at his hand. He moved forward, and placed the chain over Becky’s head.  
“Sorry.” he said. Becky gave him a small smile of understanding. He turned his back on her, and walked to the hangar with everyone else. A few moments later, a jet streaked past the front window, and Becky closed her hand around the tags she cherished.

* * *

~1 YEAR LATER~

Becky was in the training room on the helicarrier, like she always was. She didn’t have any particular specialisation, but she had noticed a neat trick within her first month at S.H.I.E.L.D. It came in handy when she was in a fight. Her shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. Wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt and shorts, Becky had just finished sparing with her partner, Arthur Smith, her green eyes sparkling as she gazed down at him.  
“You sure you don’t want to go another round Art?” Despite him being 4 years older than her, Becky had easily beaten Art for the 5th time that morning. Art let out a chuckle.  
“No thank you Becks. I think I’ve been humiliated enough for today, don’t you?” he said as Becky helped him up from his spot on the ground. She couldn’t help but chuckle.

“How do you do it?” Art asked for the umpteenth time, despite knowing the answer.  
“Don’t move around so much when you plan your attacks. They give you away. How many more times do I need to tell you?” Becky answered, referring to her hidden talent. Becky could see the moves anyone was about to make, simply by looking at their movements in the present. Becky wasn’t the only one who thought it was cool, but she was one of three people who knew about it – the other two being Art and Director Fury. An agent ran up to the mat and said, “Director Fury has asked to see you Agent Barnes,” before running in the back out of the gym no doubt to deliver more messages.  
“Thank you!” Becky called after him, before turning to face Art once more.

  
“Better go to the lion’s den.”  
“Need an escort?” Art offered.  
“Ever the gentleman. I’ll be fine Art.”  
“Good luck!” he called out after her. “Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Birthday!”  
Becky turned and stuck her tongue out at her partner before calling out thanks, making her way out of the gym and into her dorm, changing before seeing Fury. Becky closed her door behind her, feeling much more comfortable in her catsuit. She strode down the halls and finally reached Fury’s office. Becky took a deep breath and knocked before entering the room.  
“You wanted to see me, sir?”  
“Take a seat Agent Barnes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one wasn't that much longer, and I may have lied about the rest being longer, I'm not actually sure...


	3. A Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky goes to Stark Tower

A lot had changed since the last time Becky had seen the Avengers. Now, she was heading to Stark Tower, fondly known as Avengers Tower by S.H.I.E.L.D. members, ready to face the group of superheroes. As the S.H.I.E.L.D. designated car drove down the New York streets, Becky thought back to the conversation in Fury’s office.

* * *

 

_“Take a seat Agent Barnes” Fury stood behind his desk, hands behind his back. Becky sat in the closest chair._   
_“Sir, what’s going on?”_   
_Fury turned to look at Becky and simply said “3,2,1.” As he finished, a young agent burst into the room screaming, “I can’t take it anymore. They’re ridiculous. I swear its like they don’t want a S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison!” Becky looked at Fury, confused._   
_“The Avengers.” he said simply. Becky turned to the agent._

_“Of course they don’t want a S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison, they’re the Avengers. They feel like they don’t need one. Which is why only a capable agent can take on the job. Clearly you’re not as capable as you thought.”_   
_“I’d like to see you try.” the agent retorted._   
_“That is exactly why Agent Barnes is here, Agent Douglas.” Fury turned to Becky. “I’d like you to be the new handler for the Avengers.”_

_“Her? Sir, she wouldn’t last 5 minutes.”_   
_“You barely lasted yesterday.” Fury glared at Agent Douglas._   
_“You only lasted one day?” Becky laughed._   
_“Like you could do any better.” Agent Douglas challenged. Becky just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. She turned back to Fury, who had been watching the exchange with mild interest._   
_“I’m in”_

* * *

 

The car lurched to a stop, and Becky opened the door. She climbed out of the car and found her bags waiting for her on the curb. Agent Douglas was given the duty of escorting her to Avengers Tower. Becky picked up her bags and followed Agent Douglas into the building. They flashed their badges and went straight to the elevator that would take them to the living quarters. The elevator ride was silent until the doors opened. Immediately there was chaos.

“Will you stop that Stark?”  
“Why don’t you make me?”  
“Clint, get down from the cupboard. No Thor! That’s not how a toaster works!”  
“I want my pop tarts NOW!”

Becky stepped out of the elevator and looked around the room. Stark and Rogers were standing in the middle of the living room arguing about Stark’s ego, Clint was sitting atop a cupboard in the kitchen, bow in hand, Natasha was attempting to get Clint down from the cupboard and stop Thor from destroying the toaster and Thor was trying to make himself some pop tarts. Bruce was avoiding the entire situation by standing in a corner, so he was the only one who noticed the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents enter the room. He pushed himself off the wall and ambled over to them.Tony noticed this small action and turned his attention away from Steve. 

“Backing down already, Stark?”  
“You wish. Agent Douglas, I seem to recall you saying you would never return to my humble abode.” Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the two agents standing in the elevator doorway.  
“I’m not staying,” Agent Douglas explained. “She is.” He jerked his thumb towards Becky. There was a soft thud as Clint landed on the floor. He and Natasha joined the rest of the group. They glared at Agent Douglas before turning to Becky.

  
“You look familiar. Have we met?” Natasha asked.  
“As a matter of fact, we have. All of us.” Becky turned to Agent Douglas. “That will be all Agent. You’re dismissed.” Agent Douglas stood with his mouth agape.  
“You can’t dismiss me! You don’t have the authority.” Becky chuckled.  
“I’ve had exactly that since we stepped into the building. In case, you’ve forgotten, I’m their handler and therefore have the authority to dismiss anyone in my presence on this premises.” Agent Douglas stormed into the elevator, fuming.

“Well, that was mildly entertaining, but I’ve lost interest. Who are you?” Stark commented.  
“You really don’t remember me?” Becky asked, mildly surprised at the question. The Avengers stared at Becky with blank looks on their faces. “Of course you don’t.” Becky muttered. Taking a breath and standing tall, Becky said, “Just after the Battle of New York, during the debriefing.” The Avengers showed no recognition. Becky almost gave up trying to jog their memories when she thought of a simple solution. She reached down her catsuit and found the tags she had around her neck. Becky noted the flush of red appearing on the cheeks of Steve and Bruce. She pulled her hand out, the tags enclosed within them. Slowly, Becky held her hand out and the Avengers all leaned in. She opened her hand and revealed the small metal rectangles to the group. An audible gasp was heard from Steve, and he turned to leave the room, not saying a word to anyone. Everyone else looked around unsure of what had happened, remembering who Becky was, but not the exact circumstances of their first encounter. Bruce was the first one to speak.

“Sorry about Steve, he doesn’t normally act like that. I’m not sure what’s got him so upset.”  
“That’s okay,” Becky said, “I do. And I understand completely. It’s gonna be a while before he gets used to me being around.”  
“If you can last the day.” Stark said ominously. Becky just rolled her eyes.  
“Can you show me to my room?” she ordered. Everyone shrugged.  
“You’ll find it.” Clint said as they each turned away.

The team sat on the couch and Tony flippantly turned on the television.Becky stood exactly where she was and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently, one hand on her hip. After a moment she cleared her throat. They looked up at her, eyes full of innocence.  
“I was trying to be polite. It wasn’t a request.” Becky elaborated. Everyone turned back to the screen, until Becky marched over to Tony and pulled him up from the couch. By his ear.

* * *

 

“Ow ow ow! Can you not do that?”  
Becky shrugged. “I do what’s necessary. I could just ask J.A.R.V.I.S where my room is, but I’d much rather be shown by the man who designed the building, you know, just ‘cause I can.”  
Tony glared at Becky, but showed her to her room anyway, not wanting to have his ear pulled off. Becky picked up her bags, and was taken to a room on the 104th floor, right above the communal level, where the rest of the team minus Steve was currently situated. There were two doors in the corridor. Tony pointed at the door on the right.

“That’s your apartment. Enjoy.” He turned and stalked back to the elevator, riding down one level. Becky put her suitcase down, and turned the handle on the door. As the door swung open, Becky rolled her suitcase through, before stepping in herself. The lights turned themselves on and Becky looked around her new living space. There was a lounge room and a small kitchen for those days she didn’t want to eat with everyone else. As she moved through the apartment, Becky saw her bedroom was substantially larger than her one at S.H.I.E.L.D, and she happily began to unpack. As Becky sat on the carpet of her bedroom an hour later, she sighed in contentment.  
“Happy birthday to me.” As if awakened by the sound of her voice, J.A.R.V.I.S was broadcast throughout the room.  
“Welcome to Stark Tower, Agent Barnes.”


	4. Paint & Cupcakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky becomes acquainted to the bad side of the Avengers...and on her birthday too!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the Avengers are pretty OOC at the moment. They will get back to their original characteristics eventually, but they kinda need to be mean right now...

_“Welcome to Stark Tower, Agent Barnes”_

“Thanks J.A.R.V.I.S, and please call me Becky. The whole Agent thing is just so formal. Considering I’ll be living here for a while, there’s no need for formalities, is there?” Becky said to the AI.  
“Mr. Stark is under the impression that you will ‘cave in’ - as he puts it – within the day.”  
Becky nodded in understanding.  
“I take it they’re currently taking bets on how long I’ll last?”  
“That is correct.”

Becky stayed in her spot on the carpet before hoisting herself off the ground. She walked towards the front door, reaching for her purse on the way out. She made her way to the elevator, and pressed the call button.

As she waited for the elevator, Becky heard a door open then click closed. Becky heard a small intake of breath, and the small shuffle of feet against the carpet.

“There’s no point in you trying to run, Captain Rogers. I am well aware of your presence.”

The elevator arrived, and Becky walked in. It was at this point that Becky turned to face the military man stunned into silence. Hesitantly, Steve stepped into the elevator with Becky. He pressed the button for the 103rd floor, while Becky pressed for the ground floor.

The ride was short, and as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Steve practically threw himself out of the small space. Becky briefly glanced into the room and saw a small pile of dollar bills in the centre of the coffee table.  Steve took his place on the edge of the couch, and threw in a 10-dollar bill. Becky could faintly hear him say, “She has to go within the day.” 

* * *

 The doors slid shut and Becky spent the ride down thinking about Steve’s words. Normally she wouldn’t think anything of it, but today it hurt. The doors opened again, and Becky made her way onto the street, heading for the nearest bakery. When she got there she ordered an orange sponge cupcake with chocolate icing. The bakery was also selling small packs of candles for cakes, so she picked a pack and placed it on the counter.

The baker had put her cupcake in a box, and Becky promptly paid for both items.  
“Spending your birthday by yourself?” the baker asked.  
“No, just with people who don’t care.” Becky replied dejectedly. The baker looked at her with sad eyes, and simply said, “happy birthday”.  
“Thank you.” With that, Becky walked out the door and headed back to the tower.

* * *

 Knowing it was a horrible idea, Becky pressed for the 103rd floor, simply to inquire about some matches for the candle. The elevator doors opened, and Becky stepped out right into a trap. Becky activated a tripwire attached to a bucket of blue paint that promptly emptied its content onto her head and torso, covering the cupcake box. Becky heard vigorous laughter erupt from the kitchen and walked towards it.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any matches, would you?” Becky asked the group, directing her question at Tony. Tony simply pointed at the top drawer by the stove. Becky pulled it open, and reached in, pulling out the matches.  
“Thank you” she said. She proceeded to slam the drawer shut and stormed back to the elevator, pushing the button for her floor. 

Becky pushed her way into her apartment, and put the cupcake, candles and matches on the kitchen counter before she screamed, picked up a pillow and threw it at a wall in tears. She sunk to her knees and put her head in her hands, the tears flowing freely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is short... I'M SORRY *imitates Becky and cries hideously in shame*


	5. Tears & Pepper Potts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper is introduced to Becky, and they have a heart-to-heart. Also, the team realises how what they have done affects Becky, and Tony is spoken of like a 5-year-old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters are almost themselves again, with a couple of exceptions... hold on, we're almost there!

After 5 minutes, Becky had enough strength to pull herself off the ground and walked to the bathroom. She hadn’t been expecting to need it so soon, and she turned the taps to a suitable temperature before cautiously stepping in, washing the paint off her body and out of her hair, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Becky stayed there until she was certain that the paint was gone and her tears had stopped. She pulled herself out, changing into a pair of track pants and a plain black tee. Becky put the towel through her hair, not bothering to use the hair dryer. She pulled it up into a bun and walked back to her abandoned cupcake.

Becky hunted through the cupboards until she found the plates. Taking a small one, Becky took the cupcake out of the box. She opened the candle packet, and put a blue one on the cupcake. She lit a match and put the flame up to the wick. It caught immediately and began to burn.

“Happy Birthday Becky.” she whispered to herself, then closed her eyes and blew out the candle.

* * *

 At the same moment in the living room, Tony had gathered everyone together in the lounge.

“J.A.R.V.I.S, bring up the live security footage from Agent Barnes’ apartment.”  
“Yes sir.” The metallic British voice of Tony’s AI rang in the room. A black and white image was brought up of Becky entering her apartment, and throwing a pillow at a wall before ending up on her knees in tears. Bruce was the only member of the team to show remorse at the image of Becky where she thought no one could see her. They watched as Becky made her way into her bathroom.

A few minutes later Becky emerged from the bathroom, to hunt around her room for some suitable clothing before she settled on track pants and a black tee. As she walked into the kitchen, the camera followed her, before the image on the television switched feeds to the camera in the kitchen.

 They watched as Becky prepared her cupcake for herself. 

_“Happy birthday Becky.”_ they heard her whisper, before she closed her eyes and blew out the candle. There was a long silence as everyone took in the new information.

* * *

 “Well I feel horrible.” Bruce spoke up.

“Feel horrible about what?” a furious commanding voice asked. Tony tensed and the group turned to face an angry looking Pepper Potts.  
“Hey, Pep.” Tony greeted innocently. “How long have you been standing there?”  
“Long enough. Why is there blue paint all over my floor?” Pepper inquired.  
“ _My_ floor.” Tony corrected.  
“Fine, our floor.” Pepper amended. Her glare was the most frightening thing anyone had seen.

“We may or may not have put paint in a bucket and set up a trap wire for our new handler to activate when she got back from her trip to who knows where –“  
“A bakery” Bruce interrupted Tony’s sheepish explanation.

“...and it may or may not have worked perfectly, but spilled a little bit on the floor, and we may or may not have had enough time to clean up the mess.”

The entire team looked anywhere but into Pepper’s eyes.

“I take it the girl you’re watching is the new handler.” Pepper nodded towards the screen.  
“Yes.” Clint confirmed. Suddenly sobs were heard through the speaker system. Everyone turned to the television to see Becky crying once more. Pepper frowned.

“And of all the days you could have chosen to do this, you chose her birthday? That is a new kind of low, even for you.” Pepper directed the second half of her statement at her childish boyfriend.  
“Pep – “  
“Save it Tony.” Pepper hissed. She turned on her heel and headed for the elevator.

“Which floor is she on?” Pepper called behind her.  
“104.” Tony answered. Pepper pressed the corresponding button in the lift, and disappeared to the next floor.

* * *

Becky began crying as she realized that this was her first birthday without her parents around to help her celebrate. She began to shake as the sobs overwhelmed her. Becky stayed like that for a full minute before a knock at the door jilted her. She wiped her tears, and called “coming!” before answering the door. On the other side was a woman Becky immediately recognized as Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries and Tony’s girlfriend.

“Miss Potts. My name’s Becky Barnes. I was going to find you myself, but apparently you’ve beaten me to it.”  
Pepper smiled, her eyes filled with sympathy.   
“It’s nice to meet you Becky. I’m sorry for what they did to you, on today of all days,” she said. “and please,” she continued, “Call me Pepper.”

* * *

Becky invited Pepper in and they sat on the couch. Becky found herself explaining everything from the very beginning, admitting things to Pepper she wouldn’t have even told Art. Her body began to shake again, as tear threatened to take over. Pepper saw this and pulled her into a hug, letting Becky cry into her shoulder.

“I want to be strong but I can’t. I especially don’t want to leave here. It will make me look weak and pathetic. I don’t need that added to my rap sheet back at S.H.I.E.L.D. The other agents already think I’m incompetent simply because I’m a teenager.” Becky told Pepper.  
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you won’t go anywhere. And Tony will be punished for what he did.” Pepper assured Becky. 

“Actually,” Becky pulled herself from Pepper’s embrace, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to extract my own revenge.”  
Pepper smiled knowingly.   
“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the chapters are ending up shorter than they seemed on ff.net... ah well, can't really change it now.


	6. Becky in the Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky goes to the Stark Tower gym to work out and has a conversation with Bruce.

Becky spent the next few hours in the gym, giving herself another workout. She needed to get her anger out of her system before she saw anyone else. As she was working with a dummy, Becky heard the door open. She didn’t pause. When she did a roundhouse kick that took the dummy out, someone clapped. Becky turned to see Bruce standing in the doorway.

“You have some skill.” he commented as he made his way over to where Becky was standing.  
“That’s what happens when you’re recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D for existing combat talent, then trained even more.”  
“Sorry about the paint.” he started. Becky waved the comment away. “None of us really wants a handler.” Bruce paused. “No, that’s not true. There is one handler we want, but we can’t have him.”  
“Why? Who do you want?”

 Bruce looked at Becky with pain in his eyes.   
“We want our old handler. His name was Agent Phil Coulson.”  
“Was?” The use of past tense didn’t escape Becky’s notice.   
“He died, just before the Battle.”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any unnecessary pain.” Becky paused, taking in all the facts. “This is why you push away all the replacements? Seems kind of petty.”  
Bruce looked up at her, shock in his eyes.  
“Petty?” Tony’s voice blasted through the gym. Becky figured he was watching the whole exchange through the security cameras. “You think we’re being _petty_?”  
Becky could hear the growing fury in his voice.

 “Well, yeah. Do you think Phil was it?” Becky looked to Bruce for confirmation, and received a short nod. “Phil would want you to push everyone away just because you can’t have what you want? Please. You’re all acting like a bunch of children throwing a temper tantrum.”  
“You haven’t seen a temper tantrum yet.” Tony’s voice had gone from furious to level in an instant. A sly smile found its way onto Becky’s face, and it did not go unnoticed.

“Why don’t you come down here and show me? Bring the others.” Becky’s taunt turned into an order. She picked up her phone and called Pepper.  
“Hey. If you want to see your boyfriend get an ego check, come down to the gym.”  
“I’ll be right there.” Pepper hung up, and Becky put the phone back on the bench.

* * *

As she turned, Becky saw the Avengers entering the gym wearing workout clothes. Apparently, they were going to take the opportunity to use the gym while they were there. Becky walked around them and onto the judo mats. She swept her hand back, and looked at Tony, her mind in challenge mode. She knew he would step forward, just from the way he was shifting from foot to foot. Tony stepped in front of her. She raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Tony asked.  
“Nothing. Its just…” Becky trailed off. Tony sighed in exasperation.   
“Just what?”  
“You’re going to fight me without the suit?”  
Tony looked incredulous.   
“You think you can beat me while I’m wearing the suit?”  
Becky looked at him as if to say _umm, duh!_

Tony chuckled with the rest of his team as he called for his new suit. The tech from the Mark 42 suit had been salvaged, so all his suits now came when he called, piece by piece. Becky watched in amazement, as Tony became Iron Man.

Now fully equipped, Tony made his way back to the mat, and stood in an offensive stance. Becky saw his move before he made it. He swung a right hook at her. Becky ducked and held up her hands defensively.

“Wait!”  
“What now, Barnes?”  
“We need to wait for Pepper.”

Tony gave her an _are you kidding me?_ look. Pepper burst through the doors shouting, “I’m here, I’m here!” Becky turned back to Tony.  
“Okay,” she said as she held her fists up in front of her, “now we can start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: we see Becky take her revenge, and its rather epic.
> 
> Also, sorry for the short chapter. I think I lied when I said they would get longer.... *gives you apology hug*


	7. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Becky gets her revenge, and most of the Avengers warm up to her. Practice combat is a strange place to make friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So these were the first action scenes, and for a first attempt, I'm quite proud of them, but they could be absolute crap.

Becky blocked Tony’s attacks as he made them. She would put in her own attacks whenever she found an opening. Natasha and Clint watched Becky carefully, taking note of her style, so they were the first ones to notice.

“Is she defending herself before she’s attacked?” Natasha whispered to Clint. Clint shrugged, his mouth hanging open. Steve, Bruce and Thor looked at him, confused by his reaction before looking closer at Becky themselves. Soon after, they wore the same expressions.

On the mat, Becky was performing some gymnastic flips and twists to avoid the beams from Tony’s hands and chest. Finally, she saw where Tony’s weakest point in the armour was. She let Tony push her to the ground, but pulled him down with her, before swinging herself onto his back, punching the middle of his back where the L5 vertebra would be. This attack caused the suit to fall away from Tony’s body.  Tony stood, but Becky attacked before the suit could fully encase his body.

Within 30 seconds, Tony was flat on his back and Becky was fighting against the pieces of armour. Within another 30 seconds, each piece was deactivated. 1 minute after she started to actually fight and Becky had taken out both Tony Stark and Iron Man.

Becky swung around and faced the six people staring at her in amazement and confusion. There was a pause before Clint threw a fist in the air and cheered, “Yeah! Now _that’s_ how you take out Iron Man." while Pepper stood in the stands and clapped. Clint ran onto the mat and gave Becky a hi-five before helping Tony stand.

 Natasha stared at Clint. She couldn’t understand why he suddenly liked this girl. She stepped up to the edge of the mat.  
“Okay,” she said, “my turn”

* * *

Natasha strode into the centre of the mat, and faced her opponent. Becky looked wary. She heard the winces and protests of most of the others, but Becky held up her hand.

“It’s okay. If she wants to fight me, let her. Better me than someone else.”  
“Actually, no. It’s not. It’s the complete _opposite_ of what you just said.” Clint was trying to be helpful and stop Becky from getting herself killed.  
“I’ve read about what the Black Widow is capable of. I’ll be careful.”  
“Becky, reading about something and actually experiencing it are two very different things. You need to –“ Before Tony could finish his sentence, Natasha lunged at Becky.

Fists went flying as Natasha and Becky fought, and Becky found herself using her ability for every move. She couldn’t find a way to attack Natasha. She was too well guarded. Becky knew there would come a point where she would have an advantage, but for the time being, Natasha was giving Becky everything she had.

A few more minutes of Natasha attempting to destroy Becky lead to her eventual exhaustion. This caused Natasha’s guard to drop, and her attacks to become slower. Becky realised that this was the point she was waiting for. As they moved away from each other to opposite corners of the mat, Becky gave Natasha an apologetic smile.

Once again, fists were flying, but this time, they were Becky’s fists.  Natasha was defending herself, finding places to attack Becky, though these were far and few between.

On the edge of the mat, everyone was watching as Becky pummelled Natasha, and every single one of them was trying to work out how she did it. Even Clint was stumped. Tony had been watching Becky closely during the first half of the fight and had noticed Becky’s knack for defence before she was attacked. It sparked his curiosity.

 Clint became worried as Natasha doubled over after receiving a punch to the stomach. He had seen Natasha use this move before and knew it would not end well for Becky. Clint watched helplessly as Natasha did a backflip and landed facing Becky, who was nursing her chin due to the kick she had received on Natasha’s way up.

 Both agents had a new resolve in their eyes. They ran towards each other. The jumped, and a leg stretched into a kick. They both landed – one on her feet, the other on her back – and the fight was over.

* * *

 

Becky looked up from the mat, and noted the shock on everyone’s faces. Natasha let out a groan from her place on the floor, and looked up with a murderous expression on her face. Tony broke out into a huge smile.

“Just for being able to beat Natasha, I’ll forgive you for beating me.”  
Everyone except Steve approached the mat, congratulating Becky as Natasha crawled away. Becky noticed and tried to help Natasha stand, but her hand was slapped away. Steve stepped forward and tried the same gesture, which Natasha gratefully accepted.

 As they left the gym, Becky stood with a hurt expression. The others took notice and Clint clapped her on the shoulder.  
“Nat’s fine. She’s just not used to being beaten. It’s a new concept. You’re the first person to win a fight with her.”

 “I’m going to go to the infirmary to patch Natasha up.” Bruce said as he left the gym.  Thor left as well, bellowing about his pop tarts. Pepper had left after the fight with Tony, happy to see Becky in a better mood. Clint and Tony walked Becky to the kitchen, and sat her down while they made her a birthday lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! Almost everyone is back to normal! I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. I need to work around exam revision and my last assignment for the year, so it may be a while. Hopefully I have a beta by then as well. Fingers crossed. I forgot to mention in most of the chapters (except the first on I think) that 'Becky Barnes' is currently unbeta'd, so if the grammar et al. sucks, that's why...


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